Do children have to wait between meat and dairy meals?

by Rabbi Avraham Gordimer

www.OUkosher.org

Although children who do not yet have a basic understanding of a given Halachic principle are not bound to observe it, it is prohibited for an adult to directly cause a child to violate Halachah. Therefore, one is not allowed to feed a child—or even an infant—meat and dairy together. (The general rule is that an adult may not make a child transgress a Biblical prohibition. Some halachic authorities make exceptions for rabbinic prohibitions in certain cases. The overall topic is very complex and is beyond the scope of this article.)

Once a child has a minimal understanding of the prohibition, he should wait an hour after eating meat before eating dairy

Very young children who do not understand the basic principle of not mixing meat and dairy do not need to wait. Once a child has a minimal understanding of the prohibition, he should wait an hour after eating meat before eating dairy. As a child grows older, he should be encouraged to wait longer. The exact amount of time to wait depends on the child’s maturity and ability to wait; other factors may also be considerations. (For example, if a child’s younger siblings are allowed to wait less time, and this may cause him to view the halachah negatively, this must be factored into the decision.) Consult a competent rabbinic authority for guidance.